Did you know that Americans consume more than 4.5 billion pounds of french fries every year? The delicious, salty snack is loved all over the world, and many people consider french fries to be the perfect comfort food.

While no one needs a reason to eat french fries, National French Fry Day is the perfect time to justify eating them. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about National French Fry Day!

When Is National French Fry Day?

National French Fry Day takes place annually on July 13th. Companies typically start announcing their National French Fry Day deals around July 7th. The deals often last through July 20th.

This year, National French Fry Day will take place on Wednesday, July 13th. (And no, it’s not too early for you to plan how you’ll celebrate!)

National French Fry Day history

Many people assume that french fries come from France, but in reality, they originated in Belgium. Americans learned about french fries during WWI when soldiers were stationed in Belgium. The Belgian army spoke French, which is where the food got its name.

No one knows where the holiday itself originated from. However, many people speculate it began as a social media marketing opportunity. The date itself likely has significance in relation to July 14th, which is one of France’s most important holidays: Bastille Day.

How to promote #NationalFrenchFryDay

Restaurants and businesses around the world take advantage of this national holiday. If there’s a day dedicated to a specific food, you should celebrate it!

72% of Americans use social media on a daily basis, so you should utilize this tool to promote your business on National French Fry Day. Make sure you brush up on the latest trends in social media before posting. You’ll also want to include popular hashtags in your caption to ensure that your post is reaching the right audience.

Below are a few ways other companies have marketed on National French Fry Day!

Free French Fries

On National French Fry Day, free fries aren’t hard to find. McDonald’s celebrates every year by offering free french fries if you download the McDonald’s app. There’s no doubt that on National French Fry Day, McDonald’s will be busy.

Burger 21 also offered free french fries last year if you ordered using their loyalty program, Patty Perks. All you had to do was order ahead through the app, add a fry to your order, and pick it up! The offer was only valid on July 13th, so you want to make sure you’re paying attention to how long the offers last!

Offer a special menu item

Every once in a while, restaurants will offer a special menu item. National French Fry Day presents a great opportunity for your business to do the same!

Last year, Jersey Shore BBQ took advantage of National French Fry Day and promoted their “Cacio e Pepe” fries. Offering a special menu item is a great way to draw people in. Everyone loves to feel like they’re special!

Another creator, San Diego Foodie Cook, celebrated by cooking up “one day only” Torofries! The gorgeous photo they posted of the fries drew the attention of social media users, leading them to hundreds of likes!

French fry challenge

What better way to celebrate #NationalFrenchFryDay than to come up with a French Fry Challenge?
Social media challenges are highly popular among today’s teens, and a french fry challenge could be what you need to draw in customers.

One Las Vegas theme park took advantage of the national holiday last year. They created a challenge where participants had to catch a french fry launched from the top of a slide. Challenges such as this one are a great way to take advantage of National French Fry Day, even if your business doesn’t sell french fries!

Creating a social media challenge is also a great way to increase engagement through comments. When a TikToker posts a video of your challenge, comment to let them know you’ve seen it!

Social media giveaway

Social media giveaways are always a huge hit. To celebrate this national holiday, post a giveaway opportunity on social media! For participants to enter, give them a set of guidelines to achieve, from following your page to tagging a friend!

Numerous companies host social media giveaways every year. Last year, Checkers hosted a TikTok Sweepstakes to draw in traffic. Their post on Instagram included a video with a caption that led to the link in their bio, driving traffic from one social media platform to the next.

McDonald’s took their social media giveaway a step further in 2021. Their prize was free fries for life for one lucky customer. Contest guidelines required participants to create a Tweet explaining why they were McDonald’s #1 fan, follow and tag @McDonalds, and use specific hashtags in their caption.

When planning a social media giveaway for your business, make sure to include the answers to these three questions:

  1. How does someone win?
  2. What does someone win?
  3. When does someone win?

By answering these questions, you provide your viewers with the information they need. In addition, you encourage them to return to your page at a future date when winners are announced.

National French Fry Day FAQ

When is National French Fry Day?

National French Fry Day takes place on July 13th.

Where can I get free food on National French Fry Day?

Swing by your local favorite fast-food chain to see if they are celebrating National French Fry Day.

Make the Most of Marketing for National French Fry Day

Don’t waste any time preparing for National French Fry Day. Come up with a plan to lure in those hungry french fry connoisseurs!

If you want to learn more about social media marketing, check out our article on how to stand out on social media!